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MIDDLEBORO (CBS) — There’s grinch on the loose in Middleboro. Thieves are stealing holiday decorations from nativity scenes to reindeer at an alarming rate.

Glenn Craig had his three-piece nativity set stolen. “I don’t want it to ruin my Christmas spirit . It was just a little upsetting because we went to the store when my kids were really little and we picked it out, and we’ve put it up every year for the last 20 years,” he explained.

WBZ-TV’s Jim Smith reports.

In the past three days there have been about a dozen cases of decorations either being stolen or vandalized.

Police Sgt. Corey Mills spent Monday night talking with victims and trying to recover at least some of the items, but many of them are damaged.

Sgt. Mills has also been busy on the phone trying to keep in touch with the victims. He says this crime may not be the biggest he’s worked on, but it’s upsetting. “You hate to see that so many young kids involved. Homeowners putting a lot of time and effort into it to make their homes look nice. It kind of hits the heart a little bit.”

“It’s just the idea that someone’s walking around your property in the middle of the night taking things. That violates you,” said victim Mark Panciocco. “And a Christmas decoration…yeah of all things.”

Those who have lost decorations are hoping the culprits realize the damage they have done.

Police don’t know for sure, but they think local teenagers are probably to blame.

They do believe that the crimes have been committed by the same group.